Yoga meets heritage at Chandragiri Fort

TIRUPATI: The historic and scenic Chandragiri Fort hosted a vibrant Yoga session on Wednesday as part of the Yogandhra 2025 initiative, in the run-up to International Yoga Day on June 21.

The event witnessed participation from various officials and citizens, led by District Collector Dr S Venkateswar and Chandragiri MLA Pulivarthi Nani.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Venkateswar stressed the importance of incorporating yoga into everyone’s daily routine. Yoga sessions are already being organised at various levels including secretariat and ward levels, with efforts focused on training and creating awareness among the public. “So far, around eight lakh people have registered for yoga sessions across the district,” he said, highlighting the massive scale of the campaign.

The Collector also said that yoga is being promoted at key tourist destinations to both encourage public health and showcase the importance of such heritage sites. The programme at Chandragiri Fort was part of this initiative, successfully combining wellness with tourism promotion.

He urged people to maintain discipline in their daily exercise and lifestyle habits through yoga.

Chandragiri MLA Pulivarthi Nani stressed that health is a vital aspect of every citizen’s life. “People are increasingly relying on various medications, which may affect health in the long run. Practicing yoga can help preserve good health naturally,” he said. Nani also shared that steps are underway to develop Chandragiri Fort further with the help of a renowned light and sound show agency, which is expected to boost the site’s tourism appeal.

The event saw participation from several dignitaries including State Yadava Corporation Chairman G Narasimha Yadav, TUDA Chairman C Divakar Reddy, Joint Collector Shubham Bansal, DRO G Narasimhulu, Tirupati RDO Ram Mohan, Regional Director of Tourism Ramana Prasad, District Tourism Officer Janardhan Reddy and officials from various departments. A large number of women, students and mandal-level officials also took part in the programme, marking it a grand success.